amAze Enables DigitalGlobe Satellite Imagery on Mobile Phones
LocatioNet Leverages DigitalGlobe's High Resolution Satellite and Aerial Imagery for amAze Mobile Navigation Application

location based services

LONDON, and LONGMONT, Colo., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- LocatioNet Systems Ltd., a leading provider of mobile mapping and location applications, and DigitalGlobe, the provider of the world's highest-resolution imagery and geospatial information products, today announced a partnership that adds DigitalGlobe's global satellite imagery to the amAze mobile service.
This collaboration means that for the first time, worldwide voice-guided GPS navigation is enabled over high resolution satellite imagery and aerial photos with regular mass-market phones.
DigitalGlobe has joined the amAze collaborative initiative, led by LocatioNet. amAze is a revolutionary navigation, mapping and local search service supported by several industry leading vendors. It offers services free to mobile users and generates revenue from the emerging mobile advertisement model. The application provides any regular, Java-enabled mobile phone with navigation and local search information over maps and DigitalGlobe satellite imagery in Europe and North America. A full voice-guided navigation feature is available for users with any Bluetooth GPS device.
"Satellite imagery has proved a great success over the Internet," said Ofer Tziperman, president of LocatioNet. "This is the first time such a rich mapping layer is being used for off-board GPS navigation on mass-market phones. We are very excited about this collaboration with DigitalGlobe, it is yet another innovative solution offered under the amAze initiative. Since amAze was launched a few weeks ago we have seen keen adoption by users from all over the globe using it for free. As part of our on-going service, additional features are being planned to further enrich amAze."
"We are very pleased to take part in this first of its kind service," said Jill Smith, CEO of DigitalGlobe. "Our satellite imagery and aerial photos provide a useful dimension to GPS navigation. The fact that amAze is capable to use our imagery archive for navigation on regular phones opens the opportunity for people around the world to experience the benefits of content-rich mapping layer. We look forward to supplying LocatioNet with the highest-resolution satellite imagery available."
LocatioNet's GIS technology enables fast enough streaming of aerial photos from the huge backend databases to the thin client mobile phone over the wireless networks, to allow real-time navigation over the aerial photo.
amAze already supports over 100 Java-enabled mobile handsets with more handsets supported every week. Windows mobile and BlackBerry versions will be released soon.
Users can log into the amAze web site: http://www.amazegps.com/ to register and obtain their free copy of this first of its kind useful mobile software.
About DigitalGlobe
Longmont, Colo. -- based DigitalGlobe (http://www.digitalglobe.com/) is the clear leader in the global commercial Earth imagery and geospatial information market. The company's technical superiority and innovation, unparalleled commitment to customer service, extensive business partner network and open systems philosophy make DigitalGlobe the preferred supplier of imagery products to government and commercial markets. DigitalGlobe is the only geospatial content provider to take an end-to-end approach to geospatial imagery, from acquiring proprietary high-resolution images through a leading-edge satellite and aerial network, to integrating and distributing that data through GlobeXplorer, a proprietary web-based search and retrieval system that makes it easy to find, purchase and download global imagery. DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite is the world's highest resolution commercial imaging system. The company's next-generation WorldView 1 satellite is scheduled to launch in mid-2007, and its WorldView 2 satellite is anticipated to launch in late 2008. The company's updated and growing ImageLibrary contains over two hundred million square kilometers of QuickBird imagery and an extensive global library of aerial imagery suited to countless mapping and planning needs.
About LocatioNet
With a track record of over 16 years in the field of location-based services, LocatioNet (http://www.locationet.com/) is best positioned to re-define the navigation and local search market. Based on a field proven LBS middleware, best of its kind GIS engine and advanced client-server technology, LocatioNet is serving mobile carriers, yellow pages vendors and other content providers. The solution is hosted from Europe, USA and Asia. Website: http://www.digitalglobe